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<h1><a href="https://archiveofourown.org/works/28804596">The Cheerleader Theory</a> by <a class='authorlink' href='https://archiveofourown.org/users/QueenDollopHead/pseuds/QueenDollopHead'>QueenDollopHead</a></h1>

<table class="full">

<tr><td><b>Category:</b></td><td>Avatar: The Last Airbender</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Genre:</b></td><td>Alternate Universe - High School, F/F, Implied/Referenced Homophobia, Lesbian Suki (Avatar)</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Language:</b></td><td>English</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Status:</b></td><td>Completed</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Published:</b></td><td>2021-01-17</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Updated:</b></td><td>2021-01-17</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Packaged:</b></td><td>2021-05-13 10:00:22</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Rating:</b></td><td>General Audiences</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Warnings:</b></td><td>No Archive Warnings Apply</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Chapters:</b></td><td>1</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Words:</b></td><td>3,305</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Publisher:</b></td><td>archiveofourown.org</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Story URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/works/28804596</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Author URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/users/QueenDollopHead/pseuds/QueenDollopHead</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Summary:</b></td><td><div class="userstuff">
              <p>Suki has a theory about Azula's fight with Mai and Ty Lee. </p><p>Azula is not receptive to it.</p>
            </div></td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Relationships:</b></td><td>Azula &amp; Suki (Avatar), Minor or Background Relationship(s)</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Comments:</b></td><td>4</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Kudos:</b></td><td>28</td></tr>

</table>

<a name="section0001"><h2>The Cheerleader Theory</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Author's Note:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
      <p>This was an idea my brain created on diphenhydramine. </p><p>**Very slightly hinted at internalized homophobia which leads to an unreliable narrator.**</p>
    </blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>It’s only September, and Azula is already mentally done with her sophomore year.</p><p>Mai and Ty Lee still aren’t speaking to her after their falling out this past summer, and to make matters even worse– she’s somehow managed to inherit her brother’s new friends.</p><p>Sokka and Aang were by far the most irritating, with their incessant optimism and penchant for elaborate pranks.</p><p>Katara was a close second, but not because of their cutthroat competition as the two highest ranking students in their class. No, Azula actually quite enjoyed having a rival. Whenever they weren’t competing for participation points, Katara was kind and gentle, warm and radiant.</p><p>No thanks.</p><p>Toph and Suki were <em>okay</em>. Occasionally the blind freshman shouted far too loud during lunch, but her ability to land the most scathing insults redeemed her in Azula’s eyes. Suki, on the other hand, was calm and level-headed. Even Toph couldn’t rile her up.</p><p>Thankfully, of all her brother’s friends, she only had actual classes with Katara and Suki.</p><p>“Mr. Bumi is unhinged.” Azula mutters to Suki as they gather their books.</p><p>“Told ya,” Suki quips. “Aren’t you glad I convinced you to sit at the back of the room?”</p><p>“No wonder the man doesn’t have eyebrows.”</p><p>They fall into a comfortable silence as the halls thrum with excitement. Most of the upperclassmen have lunch this period, Suki included. When Suki stops at her locker, Azula strides past. “Later.”</p><p>“Oh wait,” Suki says, and Azula stops. Suki has her locker popped open and is trading out some of her books. “I’m picking up you and Zuko for the game tonight, be there at 6:00pm.”</p><p>Azula grimaces. “Pass.”</p><p>Suki nudges her locker shut with her hip and leans against it. “Got something better to do?”</p><p>Azula rolls her eyes. “Oh no, of <em>course</em> not,” She says. “Nothing could ever compare to the thrill of sitting on rusted metal bleachers watching our overly-funded football team lose yet another game.”</p><p>Suki smirks. “It’s the first game of the season.”</p><p>“My point remains.”</p><p>“Come on,” Suki says. “The weather will be nice, and Sokka spends most of the time clique-hopping.”</p><p>Azula huffs. “Fine,” she says. “Can I go to class now?”</p><p>Suki nods, but she’s smiling victoriously. “Later!”</p><p>“Bye.” Azula turns on her heel, shrugging her shoulder bag up higher as she mentally reviews the history homework. Katara doesn’t stand a chance.</p><p> </p>
<hr/><p> </p><p>When Suki pulls up around 6pm, there’s someone already sitting in the passenger seat. It’s Mai.</p><p>Zuko must spot her a second before Azula does, because he catches her elbow before she can storm back into the house. “Azula, it’s been almost 4 months.”</p><p>“I am <em>not</em> speaking to her,” she hisses.</p><p>“You don’t have to,” Mai drawls. When Azula tosses her a glare, Mai is scrolling through her phone. “Suki just offered to give me a ride, I have no intention of hanging out with you once we get there.”</p><p>Ah, that explains it. Azula had nearly forgotten that Mai’s schedule had landed her in the earlier lunch period with Suki and her brother.</p><p>The glare falls to Suki, whose expression is not nearly as apologetic as it should be. The short-haired girl shrugs. “We’ll be there in under 5 minutes.” She explains.</p><p>Zuko holds the rear door open, eyes pleading. The look Azula returns tells him that she chooses disinterest rather than the peace he sought. She steps into the back and does not kick the passenger seat in front of her.</p><p>When Zuko buckles in on the other side, she hears him let out a shaky sigh of relief.</p><p>“Aaaand radio,” Suki says, turning the volume up.</p><p>Azula sits perfectly straight in the back seat, watching Mai’s reflection in the rearview mirror. It isn’t until Suki begins parking that Mai looks up to meet her stare. “What’s your deal?” Mai asks, eyes narrowing. “Last I recall, <em>you’re</em> the one who was a jerk.”</p><p>“Please,” Azula says, unbuckling her seatbelt. “All I did was tell her what we were <em>both</em> thinking. At least I had the stones to say it.”</p><p>“You didn’t have to make her cry,” Mai snaps.</p><p>“It was hardly worth crying over,” Azula replies. “You know she’s always been sensitive.”</p><p>Zuko opens the door for Mai and she steps out. Azula follows suit and waits for Mai’s temper to flare.</p><p>It doesn’t.</p><p>“She was your friend,” Mai says. The sound floats over her shoulder, Mai looks straight ahead. “And you were out of line.”</p><p>With that, Mai strides away, Zuko scampering to catch up with her.</p><p>Azula seethes. How dare Mai seize the final word for herself. Azula would not disgrace herself by yelling after her, and she knew it.</p><p>“Geez,” Suki says from beside her. “What’d you <em>say</em>?”</p><p>Azula fills her in as they approach the stands.</p><p> </p>
<hr/><p> </p><p>
  <em>It was June, the week after school ended. Azula’s father had lent them the shore house for the weekend, and they had only been at the beach for about an hour.</em>
</p><p>
  <em>Ty Lee was letting some Chad adjust her umbrella, despite the fact that she had been perfectly capable of putting it up herself last time. </em>
</p><p>
  <em>And then another guy sidled up and offered her a popsicle.</em>
</p><p>
  <em>Later, another oaf wanted to help her reapply sunscreen.</em>
</p><p>
  <em>And Ty Lee smiled and giggled for each suitor, saying just the right thing to keep them around without committing her interest. </em>
</p><p>
  <em>Had she forgotten who she was there with? Whose house they were staying in?</em>
</p><p>
  <em>Clearly, she preferred the attentions of some strangers to her lifelong friends. So when a volleyball “accidentally” rolled right to Ty Lee’s feet, Azula paced over to her little harem and plucked the ball herself.</em>
</p><p>
  <em>“Why, thank you,” Azula smiled at the new pursuant, lazily holding the ball in one hand. “We would <strong>love</strong> to play a round.”</em>
</p><p>
  <em>The boy, momentarily dumbfounded, simply nodded his head. His gaze lingered on Ty Lee as she climbed to her feet. Mai and Zuko reluctantly joined as well.</em>
</p><p>
  <em>Naturally, the game was a shut-out in their favor, but the ball-dropper was brazen despite the evisceration and invited Ty Lee (and by extension, them) to a party at his place that evening.</em>
</p><p>
  <em>At the party, the ‘Ty Lee Show’ continued.</em>
</p><p>
  <em>“There goes another one,” Mai said, as a boy rushed to bring her a drink. “A smile and a wink and these morons swoon.”</em>
</p><p>
  <em>“I’m sick of it,” Azula said. “The whole ‘cutesy’ act. It’s nauseating.”</em>
</p><p>
  <em>Zuko scoffed. “Jealous?”</em>
</p><p>
  <em>“As if,” she glared at her brother. “None of these boys are even remotely worthy of my attention.”</em>
</p><p>
  <em>“And yet you haven’t stopped talking about them all day.”</em>
</p><p>
  <em>“Come now, Zuzu,” she said, inspecting her nails. “Surely you aren’t meat-headed enough to buy into this act?”</em>
</p><p>
  <em>Zuko rolled his eyes. “This vacation sucks.” </em>
</p><p>
  <em>“No way!” Ty Lee cried, suddenly behind them. “This party is great! And the beach day was so <strong>fun</strong>!”</em>
</p><p>
  <em>“Oh, we all know that <strong>you</strong> had fun.” Azula scoffed.</em>
</p><p>
  <em>Ty Lee frowned. “What’s that supposed to mean?”</em>
</p><p>
  <em>“Nothing, it’s just interesting how we’re all decidedly not having fun, and you’re the only one having a blast!”</em>
</p><p>
  <em>“What’s your problem?” Ty Lee asked. </em>
</p><p>
  <em>“I’m not the one with a problem.” Azula said. </em>
</p><p>
  <em>Ty Lee leveled her stare, hands poised on her hips. “I’m allowed to talk to other people, Azula.”</em>
</p><p>
  <em>Mai and Zuko flinched at her words, then looked at Azula. There’s something in their expressions she didn’t like. </em>
</p><p>
  <em>“Of course you are,” she agreed. “In fact, maybe you should flock back to them. I’m sure they’d enjoy your company much more than I am at the moment.”</em>
</p><p>
  <em>“Why are you saying all this right now?”</em>
</p><p>
  <em>“I thought we were done with your ‘Cheerleader’ persona until September.”</em>
</p><p>
  <em>Ty Lee gaped. “Excuse me?”</em>
</p><p>
  <em>“Enough, Azula.” Mai warned. </em>
</p><p>
  <em>“I suppose high school changes everyone,” Azula continued. “But if this is who you are now then maybe I’m just wasting time trying to be your friend.” She shrugged. “I thought you had more substance than that. Evidently not.”</em>
</p><p> </p>
<hr/><p> </p><p>“Ouch.” Suki says with a grimace.</p><p>“Next thing I know Ty Lee is shrieking and we’re being kicked out of the party.”</p><p>“Okay, well…” Suki starts. “That’s a lot to unpack.”</p><p>Azula narrows her eyes. She couldn’t possibly have been more succinct.</p><p>“Anyways,” Azula says. “That’s why we aren’t talking. Mai went back to pretending Ty Lee’s nonsense didn’t annoy her, and I’m the bad guy for telling the truth.”</p><p>Suki nods, but doesn’t say anything more. She reclines in her seat and Azula soaks up the quiet between them.</p><p>The game starts. Sokka, Katara, and Toph still haven’t joined them, and Aang’s behind the fieldhouse warming up with the rest of the color guard.</p><p>The first whistle is blown and Azula realizes just where they’re positioned in the bleachers.</p><p>She spies Ty Lee, overflowing with pep and nauseating flounce. Her hair is in high ponytail that she knows takes nearly a half-hour to produce, baby hairs tamped down. The smile that pulls her features is ridiculous, fully artificial. She’s off to the right side of the back, evidently upgraded to the second row since last season.</p><p>The cheerleaders do one of their call and response chants, and rouses the crowd around them. Suki included.</p><p>Suki acknowledges her glare with a wicked smirk. “Still not feeling the school spirit?”</p><p>“You really had to choose for us to sit <em>here</em>?” She accuses in turn.</p><p>“This is where the home team sits,” Suki laughs. “Besides, would it really kill ya to <em>try </em>to have fun?”</p><p>“Possibly,” Azula says. “It’s not like we’re getting premium entertainment here.”</p><p>“They’re actually pretty talented.”</p><p>“<em>Them</em>!?” Azula demands, pointing again to the girls in question. “There’s no skill involved in wearing tight skirts and bouncing up and down.”</p><p>“Wow,” Suki says. “You’ve really got an issue with cheerleaders.”</p><p>“I <em>hate </em>them.” Azula spits.</p><p>“Aw, cute,” Suki reaches over and pinches her cheek. The <em>nerve</em>- “But no, that’s not it.”</p><p>This gives Azula pause. She must have misheard her. “Pardon?”</p><p>“Nothing,” Suki says. “I just remember when I ‘hated cheerleaders’.”</p><p>Azula’s suspicion grows. “I don’t think I like your tone.”</p><p>“You know what? Forget I said anything.”</p><p>Azula frowns as she scrutinizes her. “You’re implying that I do not, in fact, hate cheerleaders, which I do.”</p><p>“Okay.”</p><p>“You’re doing it again.”</p><p>“I’m not, I’m agreeing with you.” Suki says with a wave.</p><p>“Clearly, you’re not.”</p><p>“Really Azula, it’s nothing.”</p><p>“Enough!” Azula snaps finally. “You started this, and now you’ll finish. Out with it.”</p><p>“Okay!”</p><p>Suki sits up straighter, leans in and looks Azula straight in the eyes. Her gaze is piercing, and Azula resists the urge to scoot away from the girl.</p><p>The girl takes a deep breath. “Look, don’t freak out.” Bold start. “You’re gay.”</p><p>……Bolder finish.</p><p>“That’s absurd.” Azula sneers.</p><p>“It’s not,” Suki says. She looks apologetic. “Really think about the story you told me earlier.”</p><p>Azula shakes her head. “I don’t have to, I was there when it happened.”</p><p>“Zuko asked if you were jealous,” she explains. “I think he was half-right.”</p><p>She freezes. Just when Azula thought this conversation couldn’t get any more twisted, Suki has the nerve to imply… <em>this.</em> Slowly, she says “You think I have a <em>crush</em> on Ty Lee?”</p><p>“I’m not expecting you to admit it right now,” Suki says. “But your ‘hate’ smells a lot like passion to me.”</p><p>“I wasn’t aware you had a PhD in psychology.”  Azula scoffs.</p><p>Suki shrugs. “Just something to think on.”</p><p>And Azula resents her for easy dismissal, but she also refuses to reopen the matter. Her heart is racing and she feels the flare of her temper simmering just under her skin.</p><p>Why would she say something like that? It’s incredibly presumptuous to say the least, not to mention insulting, too.</p><p>But Suki isn’t smug. And her accusation isn’t ill-intentioned.</p><p>There’s no barb, no joke, nor even judgement in her eyes even now.</p><p>Suki turns away, and her friends finally find them. Suki’s last words linger.</p><p>And yet Azula actively does not want to think about it.</p><p>It should be incredibly easy, as it’s never once crossed her mind before. Not in the locker room before any of her volleyball matches, not in the weight room as the boys’ soccer team used their shirts as sweat rags.</p><p>It was never something to ponder, never something to question.</p><p>It was a word that applied to some people, but not anyone she was close to. It was more of a concept, a literary device that her and Katara debated during their English class. An undertone synonymous with a character’s plight, something that the readers could see but the character themself was too close to identify.</p><p>Azula isn’t oblivious, she knows people in her school who identify as such. She recognizes the colors and what the stand for.</p><p>They just don’t apply.</p><p> </p>
<hr/><p> </p><p>At half time, Sokka and Toph lead the pack to concession stands, hell bent on some overpriced nachos and Gatorade. Katara keeps their seats, only asking that Sokka brings back an (unopened) pack of gummy bears in return.</p><p>It’s a tall order.</p><p>Suki is annoyingly quiet, excruciatingly patient when they fall behind on the walk over.</p><p>She’s waiting for Azula to start the conversation.</p><p>She won’t.</p><p>Only she will, because there’s one aspect of this whole debacle that was bothering her the whole second quarter.</p><p>“Why ‘gay’?” Azula asks. “You could have said ‘you like girls’ or ‘you’re bi’, yet you went with ‘you’re gay’ as if that isn’t incredibly rude to say to a person.”</p><p>Suki looks at her with interest, a knowing smile on her face. “Call it gaydar,” she offers. “But you do <em>not</em> like guys.”</p><p>“We’re not having this discussion.”</p><p>“Hm, felt like we were about to.”</p><p>“You’re mistaken.”</p><p>“Maybe.” But nothing in her tone indicates concession. Suki spies something off to the side and smiles. “Oh hey, just a sec…”</p><p>Azula follows where Suki leads them; she wasn’t hungry anyways. “Where are we going?”</p><p>“To say hi to my girlfriend.”</p><p>Azula stops in her tracks, but by then they’re already at the gap in the fence where the teams come in and out of the field. The cheerleading team is bounding toward it, assumingly after just finishing their half time routine. “You neglected to tell me that you were <em>dating</em> someone on the cheer team.”</p><p>Suki smirks at her. “Your crisis seemed more important.”</p><p>“I am <em>not-</em>”</p><p>“Jin!” calls Suki, waving.</p><p>The girl in question beams, then runs over and throws herself into Suki’s arms.</p><p>They kiss.</p><p>Then they stop.</p><p>“Sorry I missed your show,” Suki whispers, pouting slightly.</p><p>Jin laughs, and Azula can hear that at the very least, the sound is genuine. “Same show as last year, same show as next week, NBD.” Jin taps Suki’s nose, bats her eyelashes. “But if you’re still feeling guilty later, you can make it up to me with boneless wings.”</p><p>Now Suki laughs. “Okay, deal.”</p><p>“Azula?”</p><p>Suki and Jin turn to her before she reacts, and Azula knows they see her looking at them, just as much as she knows that Ty Lee is standing just off to her left.</p><p>When she turns, Ty Lee is looking at her with wide eyes. Her eyebrows are knitted together, she looks sad, unsure. Distrusting.</p><p>“Ty Lee,” Azula greets evenly. “It’s been a while.”</p><p>“Yep.” Ty Lee nods. “June. When you insulted me for no reason.”</p><p>Azula rolls her eyes. “I had a reason,” she says. The pause stretches. Her fingers flex at her sides. “But, perhaps I was a bit harsh.”</p><p>Ty Lee’s doe eyes go even wider. Azula keeps her face neutral, she knows Suki and Jin are watching them. It’s a small mercy that she can’t see Suki’s face, or else Azula might be compelled to punch it.</p><p>Then, Ty Lee takes a deep breath. “I miss you,” she admits.</p><p>And Ty Lee has always been up front with her emotions. Complete lack of control. She feels everything and expresses it outwardly, her face conceals nothing, and so Azula sees everything.</p><p>She isn’t lying.</p><p>She…</p><p>She never does.</p><p>This is not comfortable. Ty Lee waits for her to say something, but Azula won’t. Can’t. There’s nothing to say, because Suki is wrong. Azula is not wrong, not about cheerleaders, not about Ty Lee, certainly not about herself.</p><p>But Ty Lee’s recent absence was noticeable, and her presence is not unwelcome.</p><p>So after a moment of terse silence, Azula shrugs. The tension in her shoulders unfurls with the movement, and Ty Lee smiles.</p><p>It’s blinding, much like it was from her vantage point in the stands. Only up-close.</p><p>It’s real. The identical smiles, real.</p><p>Ty Lee enjoys cheering just as much as Azula enjoys volleyball, probably more.</p><p>She has fun flying through the air, always has. Whether on the field or on Azula’s trampoline when they were growing up.</p><p>Azula is not wrong. Suki’s an asshole.</p><p>Ty Lee flings herself at Azula and she catches her by the waist.</p><p>She tightens her arms around her neck, deepening the hug. Azula hates hugs.</p><p>But in the moments before she leans away, she feels the warmth against her thighs, the chest beneath her own, the skin beneath her fingers where the ridiculous uniform ends.</p><p>She acknowledges the sensations; they remain uncategorized.</p><p>Ty Lee is still beaming when she leans over to pick up the pompoms she’d dropped.</p><p>“It’s really good to see you, Azula,” Ty Lee says, fixing a stray hair. “Talk soon?”</p><p>Azula nods, and finally Ty Lee skips away to catch up with the rest of the team. It’s only when she disappears out of sight that Azula realizes she watched her go.</p><p>“<em>Oof</em>,” Jin says. “Been there, sweetie.”</p><p>Azula swivels around aiming her glare at the girl, but Jin is leaning against Suki looking entirely unbothered. Suki has an arm around her waist but their positioning is entirely different from the embrace earlier.</p><p>The comparison is not made.</p><p>But now they’re <em>both </em>looking at her with that knowing gaze and Azula will kill them both.</p><p>“Take it easy on her, babe,” Suki says with a nudge. “She’s working through some stuff.”</p><p>“Anyways, I gotta go get ready for the third quarter,” Jin says, leaning in to peck Suki on the cheek. “Pick me up later?”</p><p>“You got it,” Suki grins, then leans in kiss her forehead. “I’ll text you after I drop Azula and Zuko back home.”</p><p>The two part, but not before Jin leans toward Azula to whisper: “And don’t worry, she’s bi.”</p><p>Suki gasps. “I <em>knew</em> it!”</p><p>Azula crosses her arms over her chest and huffs. <em>What does <strong>she</strong> know!? </em>she thinks.</p><p>And Suki laughs their entire walk back to the stands. “Oh man, you should have your <em>face!” </em>she cries between bouts. “Wow– my gaydar is spot-on, I’m three-for-three.”</p><p>Azula considers her; three? She could be referring to her girlfriend, but somehow she doubts it.</p><p>Frankly, it’s presumptuous enough to include her in the count.</p><p>And seeking clarification is far from any kind of statement of acceptance.</p><p>“Who’s the third?” she asks.</p><p>Suki waves her off. “Sorry, believe it or not I’m not in the business of outing friends.”</p><p>Friends.</p><p>Well surely the count couldn’t possibly include Azula, because they weren’t really friends. Classmates, sure. But none of the people they were walking toward in the stands were really her friends. Just a gaggle of idiots she’d gotten to know through her brother.</p><p>She watches Katara, Toph, and Sokka for most of the third quarter, wondering which of them were the friend(s?) that Suki counted in her ‘success’ rate.</p><p>The whistle sounds for another time-out and Azula turns back to the game. She spots Ty Lee quicker this time, unintentionally catches her eye. Ty Lee waves, and Azula lifts her hand in acknowledgement.</p><p>Suki coughs.                                                 </p><p>Bitch.</p><p> </p><p> </p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Author's Note:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p>Based on an actual conversation I had with my friend a few months ago:<br/>"Did I actually hate cheerleaders in high school, or was I just deeply repressed?"</p><p>AO3 is about as good a place as any to come out as bi, yes?</p><p>Thanks for letting me project onto our beloved Azula, and double thanks to my new Discord friends for turning me into a Jin/Suki shipper. </p><p>Kudos and Comments appreciated 💕</p></blockquote></div></div>
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